The roar of the stock market,
fluctuations of the market, and the threat of losing stock investment: this is
the picture that comes to mind when we think about stock trading and
investments. However, the picture is bound to change as digitization has hit
every sector in the world, including the stock market and most of the credit
goes to rapid developments to launch novel mobile applications that help
understand the uncertainty of the stock market.

From the apps that offer
entertainment such as Instagram and Facebook to apps that offer education
regarding the stock market, the mobile apps industry has evolved drastically in
the last decade. However, with the growing need to understand how the stock
market works, the mobile apps industry is now focused on launching novel
applications that could become boon to stock investors and new market entrants.

Recently, the online stockbroking
startup, Zerodha, launched its learning program name “Varsity” in a format of
mobile application. The app is available in the app store for a limited
audience and so far, it has more than 10,000 downloads. The Bengaluru-based
Zerodha has decided to expand the education ecosystem around stock trading and
investments. The CEO of Zerodha, Nithin Kamath, has confirmed the development
of the app and stated that the company is aiming to attract millennials on to
its platform.

Karthik Rangappa, the leader of
the Varsity programme at Zerodha, stated,
“In the coming six months, the company will primarily work on Varsity to make
it better and more powerful than what it is now. As it targets the millennial
crowd, we want to gather up to million users on the platform as soon as
possible.” He added that despite the application is currently using English as
a primary language, it will introduce other vernacular dialects soon, including
Hindi and Gujarati.

At the start of this year, the
startup had managed to be at the top position in terms of number of active
traders on its platform. Kamath stated that although the rate of addition of
new clients has decreased for the market, his platform still processes about
13% of the retail trades in the country. If you look at the number, the
platform has added 40,000 clients in March and is projected to add 50,000 this
month.

Apart from trading, the company has
also invested in other offerings such as “Coin” that has about 200,000 users
and Rs. 2,700 crore assets under management, which is now competing with well-established
firms such as Paytm Money and ET Money.

The mobile applications have
gained utmost importance in the last few years, owing to its simplicity and
user-friendliness. As the mobile apps offer the required information with just
a tap, they have become the basic need for anyone using portable devices
including smartphones and tablets. According to Allied Market Research, the
global market for mobile application accounted
for $108.44 billion in 2016 and is expected to garner $311.25 by 2023.